Thick smoke from the resulting fire following the explosions.
Police personnel carrying a victim to an ambulance.
SERIAN: Nineteen individuals had a close shave with death when three buildings collapsed following two ground-shaking explosions at an industrial zone here yesterday afternoon.
The explosions, believed to have been set off by acetylene gas used during wiring works at a warehouse, also damaged five other buildings and vehicles within a 100-metre radius of the industrial zone.
Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director Nor Hisham Mohammad said 42 firemen from Serian, Siburan, and Tabuan Jaya station were rushed to the scene when the distress call was raised at 3.03pm.
“Firemen from Serian station was the first to arrive at the scene at 3.05pm. Along the way, two loud explosions, which caused the collapse of a warehouse and an auto parts factory, were heard and it sparked a fire.”
He said firemen had to first rescue three workers from beneath the rubble of a partially-collapsed ice cream factory before rescuing a family of five who were trapped beneath their collapsed living quarters adjacent to the factory.
To compound the situation, the hazardous materials (Hazmat) team detected trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas in the air, prompting police to cordon off the area.
The majority of the 19 persons rescued from the three collapsed structures sustained light cuts, and they were treated at Serian Hospital.
However, it was learned that two ice cream factory workers suffered internal injuries and were taken to Sarawak General Hospital.
The explosions shattered windows and glass panels of a Petronas gas station and several other buildings and homes, and flying debris damaged a number of vehicles.
Police personnel, led by district chief DSP Mohd Jamali Umi, were also on the ground to help rescue the trapped victims and to maintain public order.
Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications and Tebedu assemblyman Dato Sri Michael Manyin and Serian District Officer Sinde Muling rushed to the scene upon being alerted of the incident.
Bomba is investigating the cause of the explosion and the resulting fire.
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